New York – Information Office – 25 September

The State of Qatar reiterated its commitment to bilateral and multilateral cooperation and coordination with the countries of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) within the framework of solidarity and a collective approach, emphasizing the active role of the movement in seeking to establish a just, equitable and rules-based global order, and praising the movement's valuable contributions in advancing international action on many issues, as an effective platform for joint action and the promotion of multilateralism.

This came in the statement of the State of Qatar made by HE Acting Director of the Department of International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ali Khalfan Al Mansouri, at the annual ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement on the sidelines of the general debate of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

On the occasion of six decades since the Movement's founding, small and medium-sized countries - and most of the Non-Aligned Movement - seem to be the most in need of stable rules regulating international relations, HE said.

In this context, HE referred to HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani's speech before the general debate of the UN General Assembly, as HH emphasized that "dependency on the great powers should not be a reason for failure to maintain communication between us. Each of us has a role to play, and what seems impossible today may become an achievable reality when there is a vision, will and good intentions." HE noted the movement's stance towards the Palestinian cause, as it stresses a just, lasting and comprehensive settlement on the basis of international law and international legitimacy, and the continuous defense of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

He clarified that the recurrent escalation in the occupied Palestinian territories highlights the need for the Movement and its countries to continue relentless efforts to confirm this principled position, and to seek to establish a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

Al Mansouri reiterated Qatar's solidarity with the brotherly Palestinian people, and its condemnation of the attacks on it, as well as its affirmation of the solution to the Palestinian issue on which the international community agreed, namely the two-state solution, which requires the establishment of a viable Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He also expressed the State of Qatar's support for the prominent role played by the Non-Aligned Movement in a wide range of issues, such as reforming the United Nations and enhancing its role in the international arena.

He praised the serious international move to address, in an integrated and equitable manner, the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on countries and their peoples, indicating that it is appropriate that the meeting focuses on the Movement's role in global recovery from the pandemic.

HE stressed the importance of settling disputes by peaceful means, in light of the deterioration that the world is witnessing today in the international security environment, emphasizing that one of Qatar's foreign policy's priorities is the settlement of disputes by peaceful means, which has been succeeded through mediation and good offices.

Within this framework, he referred to the talks hosted by the State of Qatar last August, which resulted in the signing of the Doha Peace Agreement in Chad, expressing Qatar's aspiration to build on that in order to lay the foundations for sustainable peace.

Al Mansouri believes that the decline in global stability once again highlights the continuing threat posed by nuclear weapons. He expressed the State of Qatar's regret that the Tenth Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) had not reached a consensus solution. He also reiterated the State of Qatar's emphasis on the need to free all regions of the world of nuclear weapons and any other weapons of mass destruction, particularly, to free the Middle East of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction.

HE underlined the importance of the 1995 Review Conference decision on the Middle East as an essential part of the treaty's indefinite extension deal.

HE referred to the difficulties faced by the least developed countries, and within this context, expressing Qatar's pride in hosting the second part of the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) from March 5-9, 2023, and its aspiration to receive heads of state and government, and all participants. He also renewed the call to participate at the highest possible level in the conference, and to continue demonstrating the importance of multilateral international action for the benefit of the least developed countries towards building and strengthening their capacity to achieve development during the next ten years.

HE the Acting Director of the Department of International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which will kick off next November, saying that the State of Qatar sees sports as a way to promote the values of peace, development, the spirit of coexistence and empowerment of youth, and will seek to make it an unforgettable event, especially since it is being held in the Middle East for the first time.

He expressed the State of Qatar's aspiration to welcome the fans, as they will witness the country's civilizational renaissance and the ability to host this global event with exceptional success, as well as the ability for this event to provide a space for diversity and constructive interaction between the peoples of the globe.